Paul Walker to appear in 'Fast and Furious 7'

Universal has said Paul Walker, who died last month in a fiery car wreck, will appear in "Fast and Furious 7," according to Reuters.

The film's release date has also been pushed back nine months.

The seventh installment of the series, which has grossed more than $2 billion globally, was originally slated to be released on July 11, 2014. It will now be released April 10, 2015, the studio said in a statement. It also said series star Vin Diesel and the late Walker would "lead the returning cast."

Diesel, also one of the producers, announced the new release date on Facebook. Now Universal has confirmed it.

Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) star in a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed--"Fast Five." (Jamie Trueblood/MCT)

Walker was a passenger in a red Porsche Carrera GT sports car that crashed on Nov. 30 in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The car struck a utility pole and burst into flames, also killing driver Roger Rodas. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the accident but have said that speed probably played a role.

Production on "Fast 7" was shut down at the time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Production was suspended and Universal has not said when filming will resume. It's not known how many of Walker's scenes were shot.